Bible in 90 Days
11 This is the message of the Eternal: “I will bring trouble on you in your own household—right under your nose. I will take your wives and give them to another, and he will flaunt that he sleeps with them in the light of day. 12 You did your evil in secret, but I will do this out in the open, in front of all Israel.”
David (confessing to Nathan): 13 I have sinned against the Eternal One.
Nathan: Because the Eternal has put away your sin, it will not be your death. 14 But because you scorned the Lord by these acts, giving His enemies reason to mock Him, the child you conceived in deceit will die.
15 Then Nathan left the king’s presence and went down to his house.
The Eternal One struck the child born to Uriah’s widow and David so that he became very sick. 16 So David appealed to the True God for the life of his son. David went without food; he lay on the ground praying all night. 17 The elders from his household, the most highly honored of his servants, tried to pull him up off the ground and to make him eat, but he would not.
18 After seven days of this, the child died, and David’s servants were afraid to bring him the news.
Servants (to one another): If the king did not listen to us while his son was still alive, how can we tell him his son is dead? He may hurt himself in some way.
19 When David saw his servants whispering among themselves, he immediately realized the boy was dead.
David (to his servants): Is my son dead?
Servants: Yes, he is dead.
20 Then David stood up, washed, anointed himself with sweet-smelling oils, and changed his clothes. He went into the house of the Eternal and worshiped. Then he returned to his house and asked for food; and when it was brought to him, he ate.
Servants (to David): 21 We don’t understand. When your son was alive, you wept and you refused to eat; now that he is dead, it is as if nothing is wrong—you are up and about and eating.
David: 22 While my son was still alive, I wept and fasted with all my being because I thought to myself, “Who knows? There is still a chance that the Eternal One will have mercy on me and let my child live.” 23 But now that he is dead, why should I continue without eating? Will that bring my son back to life? Someday when I die I will go where he has gone, but he will never come back to me here.
24 David went in to console his wife, Bathsheba. In time they slept together, and she became pregnant. When their second son was born, David named him Solomon. The Eternal loved the boy 25 and sent word by the prophet Nathan that they should call Solomon “Jedidiah.”
The Israelites believe God punishes or rewards based on religious and ethical behavior, so David knows he deserves to be punished for the things he has done. But Nathan tells him that his punishment will come through the loss of the son conceived in adultery with Bathsheba and through the growth of conflict within his own family. The baby does die despite David’s prayer and fasting, and David’s children will soon display the kind of destructive behavior that will all but tear the royal house apart.
26 During this time, Joab was campaigning against the Ammonite city of Rabbah until he captured the royal city. 27 He sent messengers with word of the imminent victory to David.
Joab: I have fought against Rabbah and captured its water supply. The city is almost ours. 28 You should gather the rest of your forces and come yourself to lead the final conquest. If I take the city, then I will receive the credit for it.
29 So David gathered the people, led them against Rabbah, and captured it. 30 He took the crown from their king and had it placed on his own head to show who was now reigning in the land. It was so heavy with gold (weighing over 75 pounds) that it could scarcely be worn, and it had a precious stone mounted on it. He also brought home the vast treasures of the city. 31 Lastly David set the people of the city to work with axes or picks or saws and built kilns for making bricks. He did the same thing to all the cities of the Ammonites, and then he and his armies went home to Jerusalem.
13 Time passed, and David’s children grew older. David’s third son, Absalom, had a sister, Tamar, who was so beautiful that David’s oldest son and heir, Amnon, fell in love with her. 2 Amnon was actually sick with desire for his half sister Tamar. Because she was a royal virgin, there was no chance for him to be with her.
3 But Amnon had a friend, his cousin Jonadab (son of David’s brother Shimeah), who was very shrewd.
Jonadab: 4 Son of the great king, why do you look so tired and run-down every day? Won’t you tell me?
Amnon: It’s Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister. I’m in love with her.
Jonadab: 5 Listen, lie down in your bed, and pretend that you are really sick. When your father comes to check on you, ask him, “Could my sister Tamar come and make me something to eat here, where I can see it, and could she feed it to me?”
6 So Amnon did as Jonadab had suggested. He lay down and faked an illness, and the king came to check on him, just as Jonadab said he would.
Amnon: Could my sister Tamar come take care of me? Could she make me some cakes here, where I can watch her, and then feed them to me?
7 David sent word home to Tamar.
David’s Message: Come to your brother Amnon’s house, and fix him something he can eat.
8 Tamar came to Amnon’s house, where he waited in bed. She made dough, kneaded it, formed cakes, and baked them, all so that he could watch her. 9 Then she set the pan in front of him and served the food, but he would not eat.
Amnon: Send everybody away.
All the servants departed and left the two of them alone.
Amnon (to Tamar): 10-11 Bring the food over to my bed, so you can feed me.
When Tamar brought to him the food she had made as he lay in bed, he grabbed her.
Amnon: Oh, my sister! Come into my bed; I want to be with you.
Tamar (struggling against him): 12 No, my brother! Please don’t violate me. Don’t do anything so shameful. You know people don’t do such things here in Israel.
13 Think about me! Do you realize what this would do to me, my prospects, my reputation? Where could I go to hide my shame?
And think about yourself! People would say you were one of the most foolish men in Israel!
Please, speak to the king if you want me so badly. He loves you and won’t keep me from you.
14 But Amnon would not listen to her; and since he was stronger, he raped her.
15 After he was done, he was filled with disgust and hated her; his hatred was stronger than the love that motivated him to rape her.
Amnon (to Tamar): Now get out of my sight!
Tamar (clinging to him): 16 No, my brother. The shame you do in sending me away is even worse than the shame you brought on by raping me.
But again he would not listen to her. 17 He called for his manservant.
Amnon: Throw this woman out of my sight, and lock the door when she’s gone. Make sure she can’t come back inside my house.
18 Because Tamar had been a royal virgin, she wore a distinctive robe with long sleeves. When Amnon’s servant threw her out into the street and barred her return, 19 Tamar heaped ashes on her head and tore her long, beautiful robe in mourning for what had happened to her. Then she walked back toward her home wailing, one hand to her head, showing everyone that tragedy and shame had fallen on her.
20 Tamar’s brother Absalom found her.
Absalom: Has your brother Amnon raped you? For now, my sister, say nothing. He is your brother. Don’t let it affect you so much.
Absalom had begun to make plans for revenge. So Tamar remained a broken woman living in her brother Absalom’s house.
21 When King David heard of what Amnon had done, he was filled with anger, but he did nothing to punish his firstborn son.
22 For his part, Absalom would not talk to Amnon, either nicely or angrily; Absalom hated Amnon for raping his sister Tamar, but he waited patiently.
Oh the shame and intrigue within David’s family. The lust and deception Amnon exhibits is not greatly different from that of his father. It, in turn, poisons Absalom and David’s relationship. The eventual revolt and death of David’s son Absalom are the final fruits of David’s sins in desiring another man’s wife and sending that man to his death. Nathan has promised there would be discord in the royal household, and that discord rocks David’s family, leading to death and division among his children.
23 So two whole years passed. It was the time of year when Absalom’s sheep were to be sheared, and Absalom invited all the king’s sons to feast at his estate at Baal-hazor, near Ephraim. 24 He went to his father, the king, to ask for permission to invite his brothers.
Absalom: I have gathered my men to shear the sheep. Will the king and his servants please join me, your servant, in celebrating?
David: 25 No, my son. If we all go, we would just be a burden to you.
Absalom pressured his father. The king still refused to come, although he did offer his blessing. Absalom turned to go, but he stopped with a final request.
Absalom: 26 Then send my brother Amnon to be with us.
David (curious): Why would you want him to go?
27 But Absalom pushed and pressed him until finally David was persuaded to give his permission for Amnon and all of his sons to go.
[Absalom threw a kingly feast.][a] 28 But before it began, he gave his servants unusual instructions.
Absalom: Watch Amnon to see when the wine makes him drunk; and when I tell you, “Strike Amnon,” kill him. Don’t be nervous—this is my command from my own lips. Have courage and show your bravery.
29 So Absalom’s servants followed his command and killed Amnon when he became drunk, and the other royal sons rose from the feast and fled on their mules. 30 While they were on the road, a false report reached David’s ears that all of his sons had been slain by Absalom, and no one had survived. 31 The king tore his clothes and fell to the ground in mourning. All his servants who heard this news also tore their garments.
32 Then David’s nephew Jonadab (son of David’s brother Shimeah) told the king the truth.
Jonadab: My lord, don’t worry that all your sons are dead. Only Amnon has been killed by Absalom, and his fate has been certain since the day he raped his sister Tamar, for Absalom has known that he would repay Amnon for his terrible deed. 33 So, my lord, don’t grieve as though your line was extinguished, for only your son Amnon is dead.
34 Absalom fled.
When the young watchman at the palace looked up, he saw a group of people coming down the road behind him around the mountain.[b]
Jonadab (to David): 35 You see, my king? Here are your sons, just as your servant said.
36 When he had finished speaking, the sons of the king arrived. They shouted, they wept, and the king and all his servants joined them in bitter tears.
37-38 Absalom ran for his life. He sought sanctuary with his maternal grandfather, the king of Geshur (Talmai, son of Ammihud), and he stayed there for three years. Every day the king mourned for his lost son.
39 King David longed to pursue his son Absalom once he comforted himself concerning the death of his son Amnon.
14 When Joab, the son of David’s sister Zeruiah, realized that David was preoccupied with Absalom, he took matters into his own hands. 2 He brought a wise woman from Tekoa and instructed her.
Joab: Act like you are in mourning. Wear mourning garments, don’t anoint yourself with sweet-smelling oils, but act like a woman who has been mourning for someone dead for a long time. 3 Then ask to see the king.
And he told her what she should say.
4 When this woman from Tekoa came before the king, she fell on her face, prostrate before him, and showed the appropriate respect due the king.
Woman of Tekoa: Help me, great king!
David: 5 What is wrong?
Woman of Tekoa: I am a widow. My husband has been dead for some time. 6 I, your servant, had two sons who fought with each other in the field. With no one there to stop them, one struck the other dead. 7 Now the whole family has risen up against me, your humble servant. They demand that I give up the one who killed his brother so that he can be executed as punishment—even though that will take away my remaining son and only heir. So they would put out the last glowing ember of my fire and leave behind absolutely nothing of my husband or me.
David: 8 Go home, and I will give orders that will take care of this matter.
Woman of Tekoa: 9 O my lord, my king, I don’t want my situation to cause you any trouble. Just blame everything on me and my family.
David: 10 If anyone bothers you about this, send him to me, and he will never trouble you again.
Woman of Tekoa: 11 Please, O king, ask the Eternal One, your True God, so that those seeking a blood debt will give up their vengeance and my son will live.
David: As sure as the Eternal lives, not one hair of your son’s head will be damaged.
12 Then the woman asked for liberty to speak freely, and David agreed.
Woman of Tekoa: 13 How does your decision in my case compare with what you are doing to the people of the True God? It seems that your verdict convicts you, since you have not brought home your own banished son. 14 Everyone dies—we are like water spilled in the dust that can’t be reclaimed. But God will not waste a life—He won’t allow the banished one to be exiled permanently from His presence.
15 I say these things to you, my king, because of those who have frightened me. I thought, “Maybe if I speak to the king, he will hear my request. 16 And if the king hears, he will deliver me out of the hands of those who would make my son and me exiles from the inheritance of God.” 17 I thought, “Please let the king’s word bring me peace,” because you, my lord, are like a messenger of God, discerning good and evil alike. The Eternal One, your True God, be with you!
David: 18 I’m going to ask you a question, and I want you to tell me the truth.
Woman of Tekoa: Ask me your question, my king.
David: 19 Has Joab put you up to this?
Woman of Tekoa: Of course you are right, my king. No one can fool you. It was your servant Joab who sent me and told me what to say to you. 20 He did this because he hoped to change your situation with Absalom. But my lord, my king, is wise, as wise as a heavenly messenger of God who sees all that is happening on earth.
David (to Joab): 21 All right. I will do as you advise. You have my permission to bring young Absalom home.
22 Joab lay facedown on the ground before the king and honored him.
Joab (blessing David): Today I know that I am blessed and that I stand approved before you, my lord and king, since you have granted my request.
23 Joab traveled to Geshur, found Absalom, and brought him home to Jerusalem. But David would not see him.
David: 24 Take him to his own house. I won’t let him see my face.
So Absalom returned to his own house and did not come into the king’s presence. 25 Now there was no one in Israel more handsome than Absalom; from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, he was flawless. 26 When he cut his long hair (which he did once a year, as he needed it), his hair weighed five pounds, according to the king’s measuring system. 27 Absalom was the father of three sons and a beautiful daughter he named Tamar, after his sister.
28 Absalom lived in Jerusalem for two years without seeing his father David, the king, 29 and at last Absalom sent a message to Joab that he wanted to be brought before David. But Joab did not answer his summons. Absalom sent him a second message, and again Joab did not come. 30 So Absalom gathered his servants and gave them orders.
Absalom (to servants): Joab has a barley field next to mine. Go and set it on fire.
The servants did as he ordered, and this got Joab’s attention. 31 Joab got up and confronted Absalom at his house.
Joab: Why have your servants set my field on fire?
Absalom: 32 Look, I asked you to come to take this message to the king: “Why did you ask me to come here from Geshur if you won’t see me? I’d be better off there.” Let me go see my father the king. If I am guilty of something, let him kill me.
33 So Joab brought David this message, and David sent for Absalom, who came before his father the king and lay facedown on the ground in honor of him. David kissed Absalom and welcomed him back into his good graces.
15 After this, Absalom acquired a chariot and horses, and he hired 50 men to run ahead of him. 2 Now Absalom made it a practice to rise early and stand beside the road leading into one of Jerusalem’s gates. When someone came along who wanted to petition the king, he would ask, “What is your city?” The person would answer, “Your servant is from a certain tribe of Israel.”
Absalom: 3 I’m sure your claims are truthful and have merit, but the king has not appointed anyone to hear your case. 4 If only I were appointed the authority in the land! Then anyone with a petition could come before me, and I would give him justice!
5 When people came to Absalom to show their respects, he would embrace them and kiss them. 6 Absalom did this to everyone who sought justice from the king; and in this way, he made himself the favorite of the people of Israel.
7 When four[c] years had passed, Absalom went to his father the king.
Absalom: My king, please let me go to Hebron and satisfy the vow I made to the Eternal One. 8 I made a promise when I lived at Geshur in Aram: “If ever the Eternal will bring me back to Jerusalem, then I will go and serve Him [in Hebron.]”[d]
David: 9 Go in peace.
So he got up and traveled to Hebron. But this was all part of Absalom’s plan to come to power. 10 He had secretly planted messengers in all the tribes of Israel with these instructions: “As soon as you hear the trumpet play, then shout that Absalom has been crowned king in Hebron.”
Absalom is planning to follow in his father’s footsteps, for Hebron is where David was first crowned king.
11 Two hundred men from Jerusalem who were ignorant of Absalom’s plan were his invited guests on the journey. 12 While Absalom was offering sacrifices to God, he sent for David’s counselor Ahithophel of Giloh. The rebellion grew in power and number, 13 and at last a messenger came to David.
Messenger: Absalom has captured the loyalty of the people of Israel.
14 David could see now that he had been outmaneuvered, so he called for his advisors in Jerusalem and instructed them.
David: Gather your things, and let’s flee from the city right now, or we won’t escape Absalom’s revolt. Hurry, or he will catch us and kill us and anyone left in the city.
David’s Advisors: 15 We will do whatever you tell us to do.
16 So the king with his household, all the people loyal to David in Jerusalem, left. David left behind 10 royal concubines, members of his harem, and he gave them responsibility over the palace. 17 The king’s entourage stopped at the last house on the edge of the city. 18 Then all those who served him, the Cherethites, the Pelethites, and the 600 Gittites who had followed David since he had been exiled in the Philistine city of Gath, went ahead. 19 David turned to Ittai the Gittite, who had been with David since the days of Saul.
David: Why are you coming with us? Go back and make friends with the new king, for you are a foreigner, in exile from your home. 20 You came to us only recently; why should you have to wander with us wherever I have to go? Go back and take your people with you, and may the Lord show unfailing mercy to you and be ever faithful.
Ittai the Gittite: 21 As sure as the Eternal One lives and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king goes, in death or in life, I will follow him.
David: 22 All right, then. Let’s march.
So Ittai the Gittite went with David, bringing all the men, women, and children who were with him. 23 The whole country seemed to weep as David and his followers departed. The king crossed over the Kidron stream, and they all continued toward the desert wilderness.
24 Abiathar, Zadok, and all the Levite priests traveled with them, carrying the covenant chest of God. The priests had set the chest down beside the road while everyone else departed Jerusalem.
David (to Zadok): 25 Carry the covenant chest of God back into Jerusalem. If the Eternal looks on me with favor, then I will come back someday to see it in its place in Jerusalem where it belongs. 26 But if He says, “I am through with you,” then I stand ready to endure whatever He wills.
27 But as for you and your son Ahimaaz, and Abiathar and his son Jonathan, can’t you see that you should go back into Jerusalem in peace? 28 I will be waiting in the wilderness until you send me news.
29 So Zadok and Abiathar returned the covenant chest of God to Jerusalem, and they remained there.
30 But David and all of those who went into exile with him covered their heads; and weeping, they climbed the Mount of Olives out of the city, David climbing barefoot. 31 Someone told David that his wise counselor Ahithophel was conspiring with Absalom. So David prayed.
David: O Eternal One, I ask that you turn Ahithophel’s counsel into foolishness.
32 When David reached the top of the mountain where God was worshiped, Hushai the Archite, who had been one of his advisors, joined the group of exiles, grieving with his clothes torn and dirt upon his head.
Since the days of the exodus, Israel has always been something of a “mixed group.” Now during David’s flight from Jerusalem, many non-Israelites pay homage and give loyalty to their king. Hushai the Archite and Barzillai the Gileadite are just two of these.
David: 33 If you go with us, you will only be a burden to me. 34 But if you return to the city, speak to Absalom. Gain his confidence. Tell him you will serve him as king as you once served me, and that way you can block Ahithophel’s advice for me. 35-36 The priests Zadok and Abiathar will be in the city with you. Tell them what you hear in the palace; and they and their sons, Ahimaaz and Jonathan respectively, will pass the news on to me.
37 So David’s counselor and friend Hushai returned to Jerusalem just as Absalom was entering the city.
16 After David and his people passed over the crest of the Mount of Olives, the exiles met Ziba, who served Saul’s son Mephibosheth. Ziba led a couple of donkeys carrying goods: 200 loaves of bread, 100 clumps of raisins, 100 summer fruits, and a wineskin.
David (to Ziba, seeing that Mephibosheth wasn’t with him): 2 Why have you brought these things?
Ziba: The donkeys are for members of the king’s family to ride. The bread and summer fruit are for your young men, and the wine is for those who grow weak in the wilderness.
David: 3 Where is your master’s descendant?
Ziba: He is still in Jerusalem. He says, “Now the people of Israel will give me back my grandfather’s kingdom.”
David: 4 Then all that belonged to Mephibosheth is yours now.
Ziba (bowing): I am your servant. May my lord and king look kindly on me.
5 They traveled on. When David reached Bahurim, one of Saul’s family, Shimei, the son of Gera, came out of his house and cursed David constantly there in the road, 6 throwing stones at him and at his servants even though David’s soldiers were all around, supporting him.
Shimei (shouting abuse): 7 Go on! Get out, you man of blood! You worthless man! 8 The Eternal One has finally punished you for taking the kingdom from Saul, for shedding the blood of his family and subjects and reigning in his place. That’s why the Eternal One has taken the kingdom from your bloody hands and given it into the hands of your son Absalom.
9 Abishai, Zeruiah’s son, was offended and amazed.
Abishai: Why should you let this worthless dog curse you, my king? Say the word, and I’ll chop his head off.
David (to Abishai): 10 Why should this matter to you? What do we, sons of Zeruiah, have in common? If he insults me because the Eternal has told him to, who are we to ask him why he does it?
11 (turning to the rest) Listen, Abishai—and all of you! My own son seeks to kill me today, so why shouldn’t this man of Benjamin? Leave him alone and let him curse me, as the Eternal One wills it. 12 Maybe the Eternal will look at everything done against me and render something good in its place today.
13 So they traveled on their way; and Shimei followed, too, along the hill opposite them, shouting curses and throwing stones and flinging dust. 14 David and his men were weary when they at last arrived at the Jordan River, and there they stopped to rest.
15 Meanwhile Absalom and all his people, the men of Israel, came into Jerusalem; and Ahithophel was with him. 16 When Hushai the Archite, David’s friend, came to Absalom, he saluted Absalom.
Hushai: Long live the king! Long live the king!
Absalom: 17 Is this how you repay my father’s friendship? Wouldn’t it be better for you to have followed him?
Hushai: 18 No. I will serve the one whom the Eternal One, these people, and the people of Israel have chosen. I’ll serve him and remain with him. 19 And why shouldn’t I serve the son of my lord? Just as I served him, I will serve you.
Absalom (to Ahithophel): 20 Advise me. What should I do now?
Ahithophel: 21 Make the break with your father complete. Sleep with each woman in your father’s harem whom he left behind to mind the palace. All of Israel will hear how you’ve insulted your father, and they’ll know there’s no turning back now. They will have to be committed to this rebellion.
22 So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof of the palace, and all Israel saw that Absalom had slept with his father’s concubines. 23 In those days, both with David and then with Absalom, Ahithophel’s counsel was deemed so wise that it could have come from God Himself, so his advice was highly prized.
17 Ahithophel had a strategy for victory over David and advised Absalom.
Ahithophel: Let me choose 12,000 men, and tonight we will pursue David 2-3 while he is weak and weary. We’ll throw him into a panic; then all of the people will run away from him, come back to you, and be safe. I will strike down the king. If we take only the life of this one man here—your father—then everyone else can return to you.
4 This advice appealed to Absalom and to Israel’s elders.
Absalom: 5 Call in Hushai the Archite, and see what he thinks.
6 When Hushai arrived, Absalom told him what Ahithophel had advised.
Absalom: What do you think? Should we do as he suggests? If not, tell us what you’d advise.
Hushai: 7 I don’t think the advice from Ahithophel is good this time, and I’ll tell you why: 8 You know that your father and his men are hardened soldiers. Right now they’re angry, like a bear that’s been robbed of her cubs in the field. Also your father is such a wise warrior that he’ll know he’s our target. He won’t sleep in the same camp with his people. 9 He’s probably hidden in a cave or some other hole where he will be hard to find. When our troops start dying in the first attack, everyone will say, “Absalom’s men are being slaughtered.” 10 Then even the courageous warriors, the ones with the courage of lions, will disintegrate in fear. Everyone in Israel knows that your father is a true warrior, and those with him are hardened veterans.
11 No, my counsel is to take your time. Gather the people of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, so that you have a large army, like the grains of sand on the beach, and lead them into battle yourself. 12 Wherever David is, we will fall on him like the dew on the ground. We’ll kill him and all who defend him. No one will remain. 13 And if he slips into a fortified city, we’ll have so many men of Israel that we could lasso that city and pull it down into the valley, so that not even a stone would be left in place.
14 Absalom and his counselors decided that Hushai’s plan was better than Ahithophel’s, not knowing that the Eternal One had determined to thwart Ahithophel’s good advice and bring about Absalom’s destruction.
15 After Hushai advised Absalom, he went to the priests Zadok and Abiathar. He wasn’t certain what Absalom would do, so he told them Ahithopel’s plan and his own.
Hushai: 16 Quickly now, send a messenger to David. Tell the king to move deeper into the wilderness, across the river but away from the fords! If he remains where he is tonight, then he and all his followers will be swallowed by Absalom’s forces.
17 The priests’ sons, Jonathan and Ahimaaz, were waiting at En-rogel for news. A servant girl would bring them messages because they couldn’t risk being seen entering the city. When they had something to report, they would go tell King David. 18 But this time they were careless, and a boy saw them and reported it to Absalom. So the two men fled to the house of a man in Bahurim. There was a well in the courtyard, and they lowered themselves into it. 19 The man’s wife put the cover over the well and spread out grain on top of it, so no one could see it was there. 20 When Absalom’s soldiers arrived, they questioned her.
Soldiers: Where are the traitors Ahimaaz and Jonathan?
Wife: Oh, they’ve crossed to the other side of the stream.
The soldiers looked for them, but when they couldn’t find them, they returned to Jerusalem.
21 After the soldiers left, they climbed out of the well and went to speak to King David.
Ahimaaz and Jonathan: Get ready to cross over the river into the wilderness quickly, because here is Ahithophel’s plan of action.
22 And knowing about the danger, David and everyone with him crossed over the Jordan River and moved deep into the wilderness. By daybreak not a single man loyal to David was left on the near side of the Jordan.
23 When Ahithophel saw that his plan was ignored, he knew the best hope for victory was lost. He saddled his donkey and went home; and after setting his affairs in order, he hanged himself and died. He was buried within his father’s tomb.
24 Meanwhile David went on to Mahanaim as Absalom was crossing over the Jordan with all of the men of Israel. 25 Absalom had made Amasa commander of the army, which used to be Joab’s office. Amasa was a nephew of David: his father was Ithra the Israelite[e] who had married Abigail, Nahash’s daughter and also a sister of David and Zeruiah, Joab’s mother. 26 Absalom and the army of Israel camped on the plains of Gilead.
27 When David arrived in Mahanaim, Shobi (the son of Nahash from Rabbah of the Ammonites), Machir (the son of Ammiel from Lo-debar), and Barzillai the Gileadite (from Rogelim) 28 brought beds, basins, earthenware, wheat, barley, meal, parched seeds and grain, beans, lentils, 29 honey, butter, sheep, and local cheese for David and his men to eat; for they knew the men were hungry, tired, and thirsty there in the wilderness.
18 Then David gathered the soldiers who were with them and divided them into units of a thousand and a hundred. He appointed leaders over each unit. 2 He divided his army into three groups. A third of them were commanded by Joab, a third by Abishai (Zeruiah’s son, Joab’s brother), and the final third by Ittai the Gittite.
David (to his soldiers): I will go out to fight with you.
Soldiers: 3 No, you should remain in Mahanaim. If we flee, the people here will not be concerned about us; or if half of us die, they will not care. But they care about you. You’re worth 10,000 of us. It’s better that you stay here and help us from the city.
David: 4 All right. I’ll do what you think is best.
David is torn between his duties as king and his duties as father. When his own son attempts to overthrow him, he is forced to flee his kingdom and is subjected to ridicule and contempt. Absalom sleeps with all the royal concubines, a deadly insult, and it looks as though David will be overthrown just as Saul was before him. Even now with Absalom leading an outright rebellion, dishonoring his father, and seeking his death, David seeks to spare his son.
So David stood beside the gate while his soldiers marched out to fight against Absalom, organized into fighting units by the hundreds and by the thousands. 5 Then David instructed his generals Joab, Abishai, and Ittai.
David: For my sake, be merciful to the young man Absalom.
Now everyone had heard about David’s instructions to the commanders concerning Absalom.
6 Then the army went out to fight against Israel, and the battle was fought in the wooded areas of Ephraim. 7 David’s forces won a great victory against Absalom’s men, and 20,000 men were killed in the battle that day. 8 The battle spread all across the landscape, and more of his opponents were lost to the forest than to the sword.
David takes the fight into a forested area rather than staying out in the open field. Since his army is more experienced in fighting in such terrain, there is an opportunity for a smaller force to defeat a larger one. Absalom’s men (and Absalom himself, as illustrated in the following verses) die as a result of not knowing how to fight in the forest and avoid its pitfalls.
9 Absalom himself encountered David’s forces, and as he was riding away on his mule, the animal took him into the thick overhanging branches of a huge oak tree. There his hair was caught, and he dangled between the sky and earth as his mule fled from underneath him. 10 A soldier saw this and told Joab.
Soldier: I saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree, helpless.
Joab: 11 You saw Absalom? Then why didn’t you kill him while he was hanging there? I would have given you 10 pieces of silver and a belt!
Soldier: 12 If you put 1,000 pieces of silver into my hand, I wouldn’t raise it against the king’s son. We all heard the king say to you generals, “For my sake, protect young Absalom.” 13 If I had taken his life despite that, you would stand back and watch as they strung me up. Nothing is hidden from the king.
Joab: 14 I can’t stand here talking to you all day.
Joab took three spears, and finding Absalom still dangling by his hair inside the oak, he thrust them into his heart. 15 Ten young men, Joab’s armor bearers, surrounded Absalom then and struck him until he was dead.
16 Then Joab sounded the trumpet and pulled back the soldiers from their pursuit of the army of Israel, because Joab knew no good would come of further fighting. 17 They took Absalom’s body and threw it in a deep hole in the forest, and then they stacked stones high over it. Meanwhile the remaining Israelites loyal to Absalom fled to their homes.
18 Before his death, Absalom had erected a monument to himself in the King’s Valley, since he had no son to keep his memory alive. He named the monument after himself, and Absalom’s Monument still stands in the King’s Valley.
19 After Absalom’s death, Ahimaaz, Zadok’s son, spoke to Joab.
Ahimaaz: Let me hurry to the king with the good news that the Eternal One has given him victory over his enemies.
Joab: 20 You’re not going to carry news today. Maybe some other day, but not today, for today the news that matters most is that the king’s son is dead.
21 (to the Cushite) Go and tell the king what you have seen.
The Cushite bowed in obedience to Joab, then he began running to bring the news to David.
Ahimaaz: 22 Whatever happens, I want to run after the Cushite.
Joab: Why would you want to follow, even though you have nothing to gain?
Ahimaaz: 23 Regardless of what happens, I am going to run.
Joab: OK, then. Run.
Ahimaaz ran, and going by way of the plain, he outran the Cushite.
24 Now David sat waiting between the gates. A guard went up to the roof of the gates by the wall, and he saw a man running toward them. 25 He shouted to alert the king, and David responded.
David: If he is alone, he comes with good news.
As the messenger drew near, 26 the guard saw a second man running.
Guard (to the gatekeeper): Another man is running by himself.
David: Then he also has good news.
Guard: 27 From the way he runs, I’d say the first one is Ahimaaz, Zadok’s son.
David: He is a good man, and he comes bearing good news.
28 And as Ahimaaz approached, he shouted to the king.
Ahimaaz: All is well!
He dropped to honor the king, his face to the ground.
Ahimaaz: Praise the Eternal One, your True God, who has given us victory over those who raised their hands against you, my lord and king.
David: 29 But how is my son Absalom?
Ahimaaz: When Joab sent me, your servant, there was still an uproar; but I don’t know what was happening.
David: 30 Make way for this next messenger. Move over here.
Ahimaaz turned aside, keeping still and quiet. 31 So the Cushite arrived and greeted the king.
Cushite: I have good news, my lord and king! The Eternal has today taken your side and delivered you from all those who rose up against you!
David: 32 But what about young Absalom?
Cushite: May all your enemies and all those who wish the king harm be as that young man is now!
33 Then the king was stricken with grief. He went to a chamber over the gateway and wept as he went.
David: O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you, Absalom, my son, my son!
David should never be counted out. Hours before, Absalom has everything going his way, and David is run out of his kingdom. Smart and fierce, he doesn’t spend all those years hiding from Saul and fighting with little or no resources for nothing. Although he orders his generals to be merciful to his son Absalom, his forces win a great victory against the rebel forces, and David’s general Joab kills Absalom and removes a threat to the security of the kingdom.
But David’s reaction again is tender; although his son might have killed him if he’d been given the chance, David laments his death. As king, as father, and as follower of the Lord, he knows he could have done better; but now it is too late, and all he can do is mourn the consequences of his past actions.
19 Joab heard the news that David was weeping and mourning for Absalom, 2 and the mood shifted from celebration to sorrow, for all the soldiers heard that the king was grieving for his son. 3 They crept back to the city as though they had lost the battle rather than saved the kingdom.
4 The king covered his face, and he continued to cry loudly.
David: O my son Absalom. O Absalom, my son, my son!
5 Then Joab came into the king’s presence.
Joab: Today you have shamed the men who saved your life, who have saved the lives of your sons and daughters, and the lives of your wives and concubines, 6 all because of your love for those who hated you and your hatred of those who love you! You’ve made it perfectly clear where your affections are—that your officers and men mean nothing to you, and that you’d gladly trade our lives for Absalom’s.
7 Go out now, and speak with kindness and respect to those who have served you. You can still save the day; but I swear by the Eternal One, if you do not alter this mood now, not a single man will be with you tonight, and this will be the greatest disaster ever to wash over you.
8 Then the king got up, went outside, and sat down inside the gate where Absalom had acquired his allies. When the people heard that the king had come out to them, they gathered around him.
The men of Israel who had gone against the king, meanwhile, had fled to their homes. 9 Throughout Israel, from tribe to tribe, people were debating: “David saved us from our enemies and took us out of the hands of the Philistines, but he fled from Absalom. 10 Now Absalom, whom we appointed to lead us, has fallen in battle. Why, then, haven’t we moved to bring the king back to power?”
11 David knew about this groundswell of support, and he sent a message to the priests Zadok and Abiathar.
David: Tell the leaders of Judah, “Why should you be the last to agree to bring the king back? Everyone in Israel is talking about it, even in the king’s own house. 12 And you—you are my flesh and my bones. Why should you be the last to join this movement?” 13 And tell Amasa, who joined the rebellion against me, “Aren’t you my flesh and my bone? May God bring disaster on me if I don’t allow you to serve as commander of my army from now on in place of Joab.”
14 Amasa persuaded all of Judah to stand united supporting David, and they sent word that he and his servants should come back. 15 So the king came back to the Jordan River. The people of Judah turned out to meet him at Gilgal, and they celebrated as he crossed back over the Jordan into his kingdom.
16 Shimei (son of Gera, the Benjaminite from Bahurim), who had abused David on his way into exile, was one of those in the throngs hurrying to meet David. 17 He joined 1,000 people from Benjamin. Ziba, the servant of the house of Saul who had spoken with David on his way into exile, and his 15 sons and 20 servants who also hurried down to the Jordan before the king, 18 kept crossing the ford to assist in moving the king’s household and was anxious to help in any other way. Then Shimei, the son of Gera, fell in front of the king before he crossed the Jordan.
Shimei: 19 Please, my lord, don’t hold me guilty or hold a grudge for what I did against you on the day you left Jerusalem, cursing you and throwing stones at you. May the king forget it ever happened! 20 I, your servant, know that what I did was wrong. That’s why I’ve come today, to be the first of all the house of Joseph to greet my king.
21 Abishai, Zeruiah’s son, remembered Shimei well.
Abishai: My lord, shouldn’t Shimei be executed for cursing the Eternal’s anointed king with such contempt?
David: 22 What business is that of yours, sons of Zeruiah? Why should you make yourself my opponent? Will I execute anyone in Israel on a day like this? Don’t I know that today I am the king of Israel? 23 (to Shimei) You will not die. I swear it.
24 Mephibosheth, the lame grandson of Saul and son of David’s dear friend Jonathan, also made his way to meet the king. His feet had not been cared for—no, and his beard had grown long, and he had not had his clothes washed—since the king went into exile and returned in peace. 25 When he met the king in Jerusalem, the king received him.
David: Why didn’t you go into exile with me, Mephibosheth?
Mephibosheth: 26 My lord, my servant Ziba tricked me. I asked him to saddle a donkey so that I could go with you—for you know I cannot walk. 27 He has told you lies about me, but my lord is like a heavenly messenger of God. So do what seems right to you, and I will accept it. 28 You had the right to kill everyone in my family when you became king, yet you took me to sit at your table. So it would be wrong for me to bicker over anything with you.
David: 29 Let’s not talk any more about this. I have decided that you and Ziba will share the land.
Mephibosheth: 30 My king, let him take it all. I’m just grateful you are back safely in your own palace and kingdom.
31 Barzillai from Gilead, who had fed the king’s forces, had come down from Rogelim to escort the king across the Jordan. 32 He was 80 years old and very wealthy, which is how he had been able to provide for the king while he was at Mahanaim.
David (to Barzillai): 33 Cross over with me, and come to Jerusalem. I’ll take care of you and give you a place of honor at my side.
Barzillai: 34 My king, how many years do I have left, that I should leave my home and relocate with the king to Jerusalem? I am too old for court life. 35 I am 80 years old today. My judgment is not as good as it used to be. I can’t taste my food, enjoy my drink, or even hear the pleasant singing of men and women. So why should you burden yourself with me, my lord and king? 36 I will travel a little farther with you across the Jordan, but you don’t owe me anything more for my hospitality. Why should you, my king, offer me such a handsome reward? 37 Please grant me your favor to return home, to die among my own people near the resting places of my parents. But do consider your servant Chimham. Let him come with you, and may you honor Chimham as you see fit.
David: 38 Chimham will cross the river with me, and I will treat him as seems good to you. Anything you want from me, I will do for you.
39 Then the king and all the people crossed over the Jordan. David kissed Barzillai and wished him well, and Barzillai returned home. 40 The king, along with Chimham, went on to Gilgal, accompanied by all the people of Judah and half the people of Israel.
41 Then the people of Israel came in front of the king, indignant.
People of Israel: Why have our kinsmen of Judah stolen you away from us and helped you across the Jordan? Why have they brought across your family and your subjects and all your men?
People of Judah: 42 Because we are more closely related to the king than you are. Why are you upset about this? Has the king fed us at his expense? Has he given to us anything he has not given to you?
People of Israel: 43 We have 10 shares in the office of the king because there are 10 of our tribes in Israel and only 2 of yours—Judah and Benjamin. And we have more shares in David as the king than you do for the same reason. Why were you angry with us? Weren’t we the first to talk about bringing David home?
But the people of Judah were harsher than the people of Israel.
20 A worthless troublemaker, Sheba the Benjaminite, the son of Bichri, blasted a trumpet and silenced everyone.
Sheba: We don’t have any share in David, no interest in the son of Jesse! Israel, let’s go back to our tents and show loyalty to only our own tribes!
2 So the people of Israel stopped following David and followed Sheba, son of Bichri; but the people of Judah faithfully accompanied David back from the Jordan to Jerusalem.
3 David came back to his palace at Jerusalem, and he took the 10 members of his harem he had left behind to look after things—the concubines whom Absalom had used sexually—and put them away in a house, under guard. He took care of them, but he never slept with them again as long as they lived. They lived shut away as if they were widows.
David (to Amasa): 4 Go and tell the men of Judah they have three days to get here, and you come with them.
5 So Amasa went out to call Judah together, but he was delayed beyond his deadline.
David (to Abishai): 6 Sheba, Bichri’s son, will do more damage to us than Absalom if he’s left untouched. Take my men and pursue him. If we’re not careful, he’ll escape into a fortified city and continue to cause trouble.
7 So Joab took his troops with the mercenary corps of Cherethites and Pelethites, and all these warriors went from Jerusalem in pursuit of Sheba, Bichri’s son. 8 When they reached the great boulder at Gibeon, Amasa met them. Joab was dressed for battle, with his sword strapped on at the waist; and as he went forward to meet Amasa, Joab’s sword slipped out of its sheath.
Joab: 9 How are you, my brother?
With his right hand, Joab held Amasa’s face to kiss him, 10 but Amasa did not see the sword in Joab’s left hand. With one motion, Joab ripped open Amasa’s belly; his intestines spilled onto the ground, and he died. Then Joab and his brother Abishai went off in pursuit of Sheba, Bichri’s son. 11 One of Joab’s men stood by Amasa’s body and shouted,
Joab’s Soldier: If you’re for Joab and David, then follow Joab!
12 Amasa lay agonizing in his blood on the highway, and the soldier saw that everyone was stopping to look. He dragged Amasa off the road into a field and threw a coat over him. 13 Once that distraction was removed, all the soldiers followed Joab to find Sheba, son of Bichri.
14 Sheba marched across all the tribal lands of Israel until he came to Abel in Beth-maacah; and all his kinsmen, the Berites, gathered and followed him inside the fortified city. 15 When Joab’s army arrived, they put Abel Beth-maacah under siege. They built an earthen rampart up onto the wall, while others with Joab tried to break the wall down. 16 Then a wise woman called out from the city.
Woman: Listen to me! Tell Joab that I want to talk to him!
17 Joab came close enough to hear her.
Woman: Are you Joab?
Joab: Yes, I am.
Woman: I, your servant, have something to tell you.
Joab: All right. I am listening.
Woman: 18 In the old days, people used to say, “Let’s ask for guidance at Abel,” and there they would resolve their differences. 19 I am one of the many in Israel who are faithful and peaceful. Why would you destroy a city that has been a mother to Israel? Why would you knock down what the Eternal One has built?
Joab: 20 I’m certainly not here to destroy the city. 21 That’s the last thing I want to do! But we are pursuing a man from the hill country of Ephraim: Sheba, Bichri’s son, who has raised up a rebellion against David the king. If you will hand him over to us, then we will lift the siege and go home.
Woman: Then stay alert—we’ll throw his head over the wall to you.
22 The wise woman talked to all the people about her plan to save the city. They cut off Sheba’s head and threw it over the wall for Joab. Then Joab blew the trumpet to halt his attack. The troops went to their homes, and Joab returned to the king at Jerusalem.
23 With Amasa dead, Joab again commanded all the army of Israel. Benaiah, Jehoiada’s son, commanded the mercenary companies of Cherethites and Pelethites. 24 Adoram commanded all the forced laborers. Jehoshaphat, Ahilud’s son, was the recorder, 25 and Sheva was the royal secretary. Zadok and Abiathar were priests, 26 and Ira the Jairite was David’s priest.
21 After the people had suffered from a famine for three successive years, David asked the Eternal One why the famine lingered, and the answer came that the nation was guilty for not making amends for the bloodlust of King Saul, who slaughtered the people of Gibeon. 2 (The Gibeonites were not from Israel—they were related to the Amorites. Saul tried to annihilate them in his zeal for Israel and Judah, although the people of Israel had promised to spare them during the days of Joshua.) So David called for the leaders of Gibeon.
David: 3 What can I do, what can I give you, to lift this guilt from my land so that you will honor the Eternal’s chosen people?
Gibeonite Leaders: 4 Silver and gold won’t make things right for us with Saul’s kingdom. And it is not for us to tell you who should be subject to capital punishment in Israel.
David: I will do whatever you ask.
Gibeonite Leaders: 5 Saul attacked us and tried to destroy us, to wipe us off the map of Israel. 6 Give us seven of his descendants, and we will hang them on a tree in Gibeah before the Eternal, on His mountain.
David: I will give them to you.
7 Now the king did not give them Mephibosheth, Saul’s grandson and Jonathan’s son, because of the sacred oath between David and Jonathan. 8 But he did take Saul’s two sons by Rizpah (daughter of Aiah), Armoni and Mephibosheth, and the five sons of Merab (Saul’s daughter) that she had by Adriel (son of Barzillai the Meholathite). 9 David had them seized and handed them over to the Gibeonites, who executed them before the Eternal One on the mountain. All seven of them died together, in the spring of the year during the first days of the barley harvest.
10 Rizpah, Aiah’s daughter, spread out sackcloth on a rock to make a place to sit; and from the time her sons died until rain fell in late autumn, she refused to let the birds or wild animals desecrate the bodies. 11 When David heard what Saul’s concubine Rizpah had done, 12 he went and gathered the bones of Saul and Jonathan (which the people of Jabesh-gilead had stolen from the place where they were hanged in the Philistine public square in Beth-shan on the day the Philistines killed Saul on Gilboa). 13 He took the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son and gathered the bones of those who had been impaled in Gibeon. 14 He had Saul and Jonathan buried in the tomb of their father Kish, in Zela in the land of Benjamin. All that David commanded was done; and afterward, God answered the prayers of the people of Israel for the land.
15 Philistia and Israel were at war again, and David and his soldiers fought them long and hard until at last he grew weary. 16 Then Ishbi-benob (who was a descendant of Raphah) announced that he had come to kill David. He carried a bronze spear, the head of which weighed nearly 10 pounds, and he carried a new sword. 17 But Abishai, Zeruiah’s son, came to David’s aid. He attacked and killed this Philistine.
David’s Men (to David): You can’t go out to fight with us any longer. If you are killed, then the lamp of Israel will go out.
18 Later the Israelites fought the Philistines at Gob; and Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Saph, another Philistine warrior descended from the giant. 19 In another fight at Gob with the Philistines, Elhanan (son of Jaare-oregim of Bethlehem), killed the brother of Goliath the Gittite, whose spear shaft was as large as a weaver’s beam. 20 Then in a battle at Gath, they fought against another famous warrior. He was a huge man with 6 fingers on each hand and 6 toes on each foot—24 in all—and he was also descended from the giant. 21 When he insulted the people of Israel, Jonathan (the son of David’s brother Shimei) killed him. 22 All four of these great warriors were descended from the giant of Gath, but all of them were defeated by the skill of David and his men.
22 David composed the following song of praise to the Eternal because He delivered him from all of his enemies and especially from Saul.
At last the day comes when David has conquered—at least, temporarily—all his enemies, and he marks this day by rejoicing. In the same way that he composed songs to lament Saul’s and Jonathan’s deaths, David composes a psalm of joy to the Lord who is his strong fortress and his security. He gives God the credit, but he also claims—and rightly, of course, in spite of his occasional transgressions—that he has tried to do what God asked him to do, has tried to keep the ways of God.
2 David: The Eternal is my rock, my fortress, and my savior;
3 He is my True God, my stronghold in whom I take refuge,
My strong shield, my horn that calls forth rescue,
my tall-walled tower and strong refuge,
My savior from violence.
4 I call on the Eternal, who is worthy to be praised,
and I have been rescued from my enemies.
5 The waves of death surrounded me;
the torrents of terror tugged at me.
6 The sorrows of the grave[f] tightly tangled me;
the snares of death met me.
7 In my time of need I called upon the Eternal One;
I called to my True God for help.
He heard my voice from His temple,
and my cry came to His ears.
8 Because of His great anger,
the earth shook and staggered;
the foundations of the heavens trembled and quaked.
9 Smoke billowed out from His nostrils
and devouring fire from His mouth;
glowing coals flamed from Him.
10 He bent the heavens and descended;
darkness is beneath His feet.
11 He rode upon a heavenly creature,[g] flying;
He soared swiftly on the wings of the wind.
12 He placed darkness around Him like a canopy
and made His home in dark watery clouds of the sky.
13 Out from His brightness,
hailstones and burning coals flared forth.
14 The Eternal thundered in the heavens,
the voice of the Most High speaking.
15 He shot forth His arrows and scattered the wicked;
He flung forth His lightning and struck them.
16 Then the deepest channels of the seas were revealed;
and the foundations of the world were uncovered
At Your rebuke, O Eternal One,
at the blast of wind breathed from Your nostrils.
17 He reached down from above me, He held me;
He pulled me from the raging waters.
18 He rescued me from my strong enemy
and from all those who hated me,
for they would have overwhelmed me.
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.